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Purpose in Unanswered Prayer – Mark 5

Last, week during our In His Presence Bible Study, we read Mark 5. We read the story of when Jesus cast demons into swine. Jesus had compassion on the man. He was not going to leave him that way. After the man was healed and sitting fully clothed and in his right mind, he begged Jesus to let Him come with Him.

Jesus told him to, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” (Mark 5:19)

There was a time the man was not demon possessed. We know this because he had friends. Jesus told him to go share with them what had happened. They knew the man before he had been possessed. Then they knew the demon possessed man, whom they had to chain up for his own protection and the town’s.

I bet they were heart broken at what he’d become. They probably prayed for him. They may have wondered why God had not answered their prayer yet. It was a good prayer. He heard. He was coming. In His time. There was purpose in this allowance.

And then, as our eyes pass on to the next verse, we find purpose…

“He departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.” (Mark 5:20)

Three words stand out to me here:

proclaim

all

marveled

There was purpose in this man’s life and in the terrible things he suffered. While His own sin caused his possession, and his friends’ prayers could have been answered at any time, Sovereign God allowed it for a time…so that Jesus could walk by, heal him, and Decapolis could be reached for Christ.

Side Note: Decapolis was made up of 10 cities East of the Jordan River

There is purpose in the things that God allows. There is purpose behind our unanswered prayers. You may not see it right away, but, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” (Mark 5:36) Jesus will walk by and we’ll all marvel then.